Utah rail station won't go on ancient village site

SALT LAKE CITY 
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a conservation easement that will prevent a commuter rail stop from being built on what was once an American Indian village.

Herbert signed the easement Tuesday with nonprofit Utah Open Lands.

In March, then-Gov. Jon Huntsman signed a bill paving the way for a land swap and the subsequent possible development of a Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner stop and a surrounding private development.

But several Utah tribes spoke out against the project, saying the site is full of valuable Indian artifacts from a 3,000-year-old village and also serves as wildlife habitat.

The rail station now shifts to the north, where UTA attorney Bruce Jones says housing, retail and office space will go up, plus a rail station.